Rotation exercise apparatus

ABSTRACT

An exercise apparatus ( 14 ) includes an upper plate ( 20 ) on which a person can stand, a lower plate ( 22 ) lying under the upper plate, and a low friction rotation bearing ( 24 ) between the plates. This rotation exercise device allows a person to stand on the upper plate and move his/her arms and legs to create torque that pivots the upper plate clockwise and counter clockwise The apparatus also can include a tilting device ( 26 ) that allows the person to tilt a top plate, which lies over the upper plate, so the top plate tilts about horizontal axes to simulate controlling tilt of a skateboard or surfboard white steering it.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

My earlier U.S. Pat. No. 7,645,221 describes an exercise system that includes a board supported by various numbers of coil springs, including a board supported by widely spaced coil springs lying at the corners of a platform. That platform provides exercise in raising and lowering a person's legs. An exercise device that provided exercise by shifting the upper body and arms instead of, or in addition to raising and lowering the legs, would be of value.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, applicant provides an exercise apparatus for persons to exercise muscles used in skateboarding and surfboarding. The exercise device includes a relation device that allows a parson standing on a plate upper surface to rotate the plate clockwise and counterclockwise by several degrees (e.g. 20°), which simulates steering of a board. The apparatus also can include a tilting device on top of the rotation device. The tilting device allows the person to limit tilt of the board about horizontal sees to simulate tilt of a skateboard or surfboard. The tilting device includes four closely-spaced vertical coil springs that support a top board on the rotation device.

A person exercises by stepping on the top plate. The person moves his/her arms and legs and twists his/her hips to pivot the top plate back and forth about the vertical axis. If the tilting device is supported by the rotation exercise device, then during such back and forth pivoting, the top plate tends to tilt to one side or toward the front or back and the person exercises muscles to keep the lop plate horizontal. Performing both types of exercises (including pivoting the hips and moving the legs up and down to keep the board horizontal while rotating it back and forth) also enhances the person's ability to coordinate his/her movements.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a person standing on a rotation device of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the rotation device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the bearing of the rotation device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an exercise apparatus that includes the rotation device of FIG. 1 and a tilting exercise device.

FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view of the exercise apparatus of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a person 12 standing on a rotation device 14 that includes two plates 20, 22, and a low friction hut high weight-carrying capacity hearing 24 that supports the upper plate 20 on the lower one 22. The person generally pivots the top plate back and forth (clockwise CW and counter clockwise CCW) about the device axis 40.

There are known devices that can support something as it rotates in one direction about a vertical axis, as to display different goods. However, applicant does not know of any such devices that includes a weight-carrying bearing that can support a grown person in such repeated back and forth pivoting. Applicant constructs the device with a bearing that can reliably and repeatedly support a person of a weight of at least 200 pounds, and preferably at least 300 pounds.

The plates 20, 22 preferably have a side-to-side width W and a front-to-back length L that are each long enough to enable a person to spread his feet to stand stably on the upper plate. Toe upper plate, and preferably both plates have a side-to-side width in direction W of more than 12 inches to hold a person's shoes, which are commonly at least 12 inches long. The top plate has a length in direction L of at least 18 inches to enable a person's legs to be spaced apart for balance, as shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a bearing 24 that includes balls 26 lying in channels 27, 28.

FIG. 4 shows a person standing on an exercise apparatus 10 that includes the rotation device 14 and a biting device 26. The tilting device 26 includes a top plate 30 supported en the plate 20 of the rotation device by springs in the form of coils 32. It is possible to construct the apparatus with four plates (two plates tor each device), but the three plates 20, 22, 30 suffice.

The four coil springs 32 of the tilting device 26 are closely horizontally spaced so the upper plate is unstable in tilting. That is, the vertical axis 40 of the group of four springs can readily tilt to the left or right side L, R, or tut forward or rearward F, R. It is this instability in tilting the vertical axis 40 that results in the type of exercise provided by the present exercise apparatus. The coil axes 34 (FIG. 6) lie at the corners of an imaginary square 36. The coil axes lie on an imaginary circle 41 whose diameter 42 is less than half the length of the board 22. The person standing on the apparatus (FIG. 4) generally tends to move his arms 42 and bend his legs to minimize till of the top plate.

The middle plate 22 in FIG. 4 is supported by a circular bearing 24 on the bottom plate 20, so the middle plate can easily turn about the device axis 40. The circular bearing generally has rolling bails 50 or rollers tying m circular channels, so the friction against rotation is low. The person 12 standing on the top plate can turn the top plate by moving his arms and legs to create torque about the vertical axis.

The coils springs 32 intentionally provide little stability to the middle plate. This is accomplished by using springs of small diameter and placing them close together. In a device of the illustrated construction that applicant has designed, the coil springs were each formed of wire of three-sixteenth inch diameter. Each coil had an outer diameter of 3 inches and a height (undeflected) of 6 inches. The axes of the coils lay on a circle of 6 inches diameter. The plates each had a width of 30 inches and a front to back length of 30 inches. This allows a person to stand with his/her feed spaced apart for stability.

When a person first steps on the top board 30, his first consideration is to move his weight so the top board remains in horizontal planes. The person moves his arms and legs for small weight position adjustment, and tilts his body for further adjustment. The person then attempts to pivot the top plate back and forth, that is, in clockwise and counterclockwise directions white repeatedly tilting the top board to keep it horizontal about two perpendicular horizontal axes.

It can be seen from FIG. 6 that the springs are close together. Some spacing is desirable to prevent the springs from interfering with each other. The coil springs each have an outside diameter E between 2 inches and 5 inches and their perimeters are spaced by a distance D of 2 to 5 inches, with the coil spring axes lying on an imaginary circle 41 of a diameter of no more than 8 inches. The coil springs each have an undetected height that is preferably between 4 and 10 inches.

Thus, the invention provides an exorcise apparatus and a method of using an exercise apparatus. The apparatus includes a rotatable device with an upper plate that a person can stand on and that can be rotated back and forth (clockwise and counterclockwise) by over 20° in either direction. The rotatable device includes a bearing (or bearings) that reliably support the weight of a person of at least 200 pounds, and preferably at least 300 pounds. The apparatus also can include a tilting device that lies over the rotational device, and that tends to maintain the upper plate, on which a person stands, in a horizontal plane.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercise apparatus, comprising: a top plate on which a person can stand; a lower plate lying under said top plate; a low friction bearing rotatably supporting said top plate on said lower plate about a vertical axis, said bearing having sufficient carrying capacity to support a person that has a weight of over 200 pounds, in repeated opposite rotations, whereby to enable a person to exercise by twisting clockwise and counter-clockwise.
 2. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: said top plate has a horizontal width and a horizontal length wherein at least one is at least 20 inches long, whereby to enable the person standing on the top plate to stand with his/her feet spread apart for stability.
 3. The apparatus described in claim 1 including: a middle plate that lies vertically between said top and lower plates; and a plurality of vertically compressible coil springs (32) that each lies between said top and middle plates (30, 20) and that supports said top plate on said middle plate, said springs each having a diameter of about 3 inches, and said springs being horizontally spaced apart with their axes (34) lying within an axis circle (41) of about 10 inches diameter, whereby to cause the person to exercise muscles to limit tilt while exercising leg muscles to pivot the top plate clockwise and counter-clockwise.
 4. The exercise device described in claim 3 wherein: said springs comprise 4 coil springs having vertical coil axes (34) lying on the corners of an imaginary square (36), said vertical axes being uniformly spaced about said axis circle.
 5. A method for a person to exercise his legs and hips, comprising: standing on a top board (30) while the top board is supported in pivoting about a vertical axes on a bottom board (22); turning by lees than 360°, the person's upper body in repeated clockwise and counterclockwise directions about said vertical axis, to cause said top board to turn in opposite directions. 